A Sociocultural Approach for the Understanding and Treatment of Young Latinas Experiencing Self-Harming Behavior

In the search for answers to the disproportionate rates of attempted suicide among young Latinas, research has identified family conflict, racial and ethnic discrimination, and immigration-related traumas as factors in the sociocultural environment that play a role in their decisions to attempt suicide. This workshop will further and complicate the conversations about these research findings by bringing a diversity of perspectives including young Latinas’ voices found online. By bringing young Latinas’ digital presence to the discussion, the connection between the brutality of their environment and their self-inflicted violence becomes real and concrete. Also, following Hardy’s and Laszloffy’s model to approach “Teens Who Hurt”, and again using digital sources, this workshop will illustrate interventions to counteract the devaluation young Latinas are subjected to, help restore their sense of community, re-humanize their multiple loss, and re-channel their rage.